After viewing Billy Wilder’s 1959 classic Some Like It Hot, it was apparent why the film was voted as the number one comedy by the American Film Institute. Wonderfully constructed, this movie has all the characteristics that establish Wilder’s signature feature films: brilliant costuming, a subtle use of shadows and setting to establish a mood, and the cinematic of Film Noir.
Another characteristic in Wilder’s films is that of his characters, which he portrays to share realistic relationships with each other. This movie demonstrates with comedy, the theme that friendship and loyalty means everything; and it is those two characteristics that build lasting relationships. As the film opens, the viewer is transported back to 1920’s Chicago. Billy Wilder utilized black and white film to create a mood of nostalgia and an improved use of shadows, and this helps to also play down the garishness of Tony Curtis’s and Jack Lemmon’s makeup.
These contrast tones also helped the viewer to remember the gangster movies of the 20’s and 30’s. Prohibition was in full swing and a cabaret run by Spats, the mobster lord, is under surveillance by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (www. filmsite. org). Two struggling musicians played by Curtis and Lemmon, witnesses what looks like the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre and try to find a way out of the city before they are found and killed by the mob (www. variety. com). The only job that will pay their way is an all girl band so the two dress up as women.
In addition to being forced into hiding, the two men are faced with other quandaries. One falls for another band member but can’t tell her his true gender, and the other has a rich male suitor who will not take “No,” for an answer (www. filmsite. org). Through these trials and tribulations Joe and Jerry face they rely on what they are most familiar with and that is their friendship. What exactly defines a friendship? A friendship is a gift without the expectation of anything in return; instead the reward is the friendship itself.
The Dictionary defines friendship as a state of being friends and to be in accord or have understanding of someone (www. dictionary. com). There are many other aspects of the word friendship such as trustworthy, loyalty, and honesty. Loyalty comes to quite significance with the crisis’ Joe and Jerry face. They must depend on their loyalty as friends they are in the situation through thick and thin; that the neither would betray the other. When Jerry came up with the idea to hitch a ride posed as women to Florida, Joe could have stuck to his original decision of not going along with it.
But because he is loyal to their friendship he decided to stick by his partner and go because he realizes that they were in this crisis together. Friendship comes in many shapes, sizes, and colors. In Joe and Jerry‘s situation their friendship was unwavering even when they had to subject to changing forms from two men to two women. Even with the alteration of personifications they were able to maintain their loyalty to one another which allowed them to get through their dilemma. For instance, both men had an aspiration for Ms.
Sugar; Jerry did not expose Joe as a fraud when he posed as Junior. Instead, as a loyal friend, he opted to entertain Mr. Osgood for the evening so Joe could play out his scheme. Through this film you receive a picturesque representation of a rewarding and friendship. Joe and Jerry stayed loyal to their relationship and in return they overcame their dilemma together. Wilder has portrayed a perfect scenario to a quote by Elizabeth Taylor, “you find out who your true friends are when you’re involved in a scandal”
Bibliography
- www. dictionary. com
- www. filmsite. org. Review by Tim Dirk
- http://www. imagesjournal. com/issue10/features/wilder/
- http://www. imdb. com/title/tt0053291/
- http://www. shepherdstownfilmsociety. org/archive/summer2006/SomeLikeItHot. html
- http://www. tcm. com/tcmdb/title. jsp? stid=16637&category=Full Synopsis
- http://thinkexist. com/quotation/you_find_out_who_your_real_friends_are_when_you/205198. html
- http://www. variety. com/index. asp? layout=Variety100&reviewid=VE1117795018&content=jump&jump=review&category=1935&cs=1 Cole
